His pig Sparky raised thousands to fly veterans to D.C. Then he and his mom flew with them
Seventy smiling and observant veterans meandered through a cluster of people Thursday inside Fresno Yosemite International Airport after returning from a three-day trip from the East Coast.
The line of former members of the armed services marched like soldiers in red coats down a path made just for them as friends and family cheered for them and waved small American flags, welcoming them home and thanking them for their past sacrifices.
The veterans had arrived from the 18th Central Valley Honor Flight, which selects veterans to visit war memorials that they may not otherwise get to see in their lifetimes. The latest flight got a boost in support last October thanks to a Sierra High School junior, Hayden Tarr, who decided he didn’t need the money his pig Sparky had collected from auction at The Big Fresno Fair.
The roughly $40,000 raised from the auction and some extra donations were entirely gifted to the honor flight program.
On Thursday, when the Allegiant Air flight touched back down in Fresno minutes before 6 p.m., Tarr was also on the plane. Not only did he help make the trip possible for veterans, he and his mom accompanied two Korean War veterans on the trip.
Tarr said that when the flight left Fresno on Tuesday, most of the veterans on the plane were quiet and reserved. On the flight back, after they’d seen the memorials dedicated to the wars they fought in and read over special mail that was delivered to them, the men and women had a different mood on the plane – joy.
“It was nice to see that sort of healing process for them,” Tarr said.
His mother, Angie Tarr, said she and her son didn’t know what to expect when the family decided last year to donate the funds from Sparky toward the honor flight. But they weren’t disappointed by the result. They said there was a big lesson learned.
“When that one pig had a good day, it just has been a ripple effect that opened up so many things, so I think that’s been a really big lesson,” Angie Tarr said.
The lesson? “You just don’t know what’s going to happen based on your actions.”
Many veterans on the flight had heard of Hayden Tarr’s big contribution. But the 17-year-old said he tried diverting attention away from him and made the moment all about the veterans, which was the idea all along.
During their arrival, the two female veterans on the trip held hands tightly as each walked to the sound of bagpipes that began mixing with the sound of he crowd awaiting the veteran parade. Music played until the very last veteran made his way down.
Tears were shed while some veterans hugged and waved back at the crowd.
“I think it was a really neat experience,” Hayden Tarr said.
The next flight is scheduled from May 13-15. That trip will be an exclusive flight for Vietnam veterans.
Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado: 559-441-6304, @cres_guez
This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 10:22 PM.
